


Colors and Lines of a Soul

by LinusPearl



Series: ReixSenpai [4]
Category: Free!
Genre: Action, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, M/M, Mention of blood, Prompt - butterfly on your right shoulder, ReixSenpai Week 2015, mild violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-01
Updated: 2015-10-01
Packaged: 2018-04-24 07:25:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4910437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LinusPearl/pseuds/LinusPearl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With another left turn, Sousuke found himself in an alley barred with a high fence on the other end. And he couldn’t turn back. Sousuke swore under his breath, trying to find a solution, and quick. There, some light! At first, Sousuke thought it was another bar, with the old sign and the fancy letters adorning it. Upon closer look, he realized it was a bookshop. The light was coming from the store front and when he tried the door knob, it was to no avail.</p>
<p>“Shit...”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Colors and Lines of a Soul

**Author's Note:**

> My first soulmate AU ever written. I loved writing it and I'm glad I contributed to this lovely rarepair that is SouRei :3 I hope you'll enjoy this oneshot written for ReixSenpai on tumblr :D

Sousuke grunted, dodged the first blow and block the second by crossing his arms in front of his face. He wondered how in hell he managed to get into another bar fight. Except this time, Rin wasn’t here to back him up.

Sousuke pulled his knee to his chest then launched his leg straight in front of him, the flat of his foot smashing full force into his assailant's ribs. He couldn’t stay here, the bar was too cramped, even if it provided some nice improvised weapons. The man wobbled backward, hit his companions and Sousuke used the momentum to turn his heels and ran for the back door.

One glance left: the street led to a dead end. One glance right: direction a small street. No other choice anyway. With his long stride, Sousuke reached the corner of the street quite fast. He instinctively turned left and didn’t stop, breathing in and out regularly, long gulps of air. He looked over his shoulder and sighed. Apparently his pursuers were pretty... obstinate, to say the least.

With another left turn, Sousuke found himself in an alley barred with a high fence on the other end. And he couldn’t turn back. Sousuke swore under his breath, trying to find a solution, and quick. There, some light! At first, Sousuke thought it was another bar, with the old sign and the fancy letters adorning it. Upon closer look, he realized it was a bookshop. The light was coming from the store front and when he tried the door knob, it was to no avail.

“Shit...”

Footsteps echoed on the walls of the silent alley and Sousuke had no other choice. He ran toward the end of the small street, hoping to find boxes on which he’d be able to get on and jump on the other side. Sousuke nearly kicked the fence in a fit of frustration, no box in sight. He jumped once, twice. Despite his tall stature, he couldn’t reach the edge of the wooden fence. Again. His fingers brushed the top. One more time. A smirk pulled the corner of his mouth and he tightened the grip he had, then pushed with his feet. Right when he was hauling himself up, air was knocked out of his lungs.

Sousuke landed as best as he could, coughing and gasping for air. A bottle hit him, hard, on the left side of his head. He fell backward and he could only fold on himself, legs pulled to his chest and arms wrapped around his head as blows started raining on him. Sousuke vaguely registered the sound of a bell ringing somewhere in the street.

“Excuse me.”

The voice was clear, strong. Sousuke wondered who could be so crazy as to risk their life in front of a band of gangsters. That’s when he noticed it, that slight burn on his right shoulder. Sousuke scooted backward, found the wall to right himself back up. The man - Sousuke somehow thought it was familiar - talked again though he didn’t make the words out, drowned in the cries of the gang launching its fury against him.

It was almost a dream-like state he felt as he watched the first lout hitting the ground. Then a second. A third. Sousuke had caught his breath back now, and threw himself in the melee, without a sound. His eyes saw briefly red rimmed glasses. A swift dodge and his back hit the man’s. Again, he had this strange feeling of familiarity. And now that the stranger who came to his rescue was back to back with him, the burn on Sousuke’s right shoulder increased. It wasn’t unpleasant though, more like it appeased him.

“Get down.” The order came simply, in an unwavering tone.

Sousuke crouched down, felt movement above him so he pushed back up, back round, and followed the move, shoving one assailant in one swoop against the nearest wall.

“Swing your leg, on your right.”

It was weird being ordered around like that, and a part of him rebelled, but Sousuke still obeyed, swung his leg while still being partly bent in two. He hit another guy right in the ribs, sending him crushing a pile of cardboard boxes. There was a cry of pain behind him and Sousuke thought of righting himself when a gush of air touched the skin of his face and he instantly froze. From the corner of his eye, he saw a long leg being launched at full speed, heel first. There was an awful crack of bones, a muffled pained groan, a body slumping on the floor. After that, it was only his rough breathing and the one of the stranger.

“That was impressive.” he said once he had enough breath.

“You weren’t too bad either.”

Sousuke finally turned to see the stranger: short hair, lovely amethyst eyes behind his glasses, slender body. He was clad in a very strict outfit, something that could be from another century if Sousuke had to guess, an apron tied around his hips.

“Who are you?”

“I thought you would have guessed, with the burn on your shoulder.”

“That’s not-” Sousuke cut himself.

He yanked down the collar of his t-shirt. He had nearly forgotten about it. He stared at his shoulder, at the black ink on his skin. Then Sousuke tore his gaze from it to look at the man unbuttoning his shirt and pulling down the piece of cloth on his own right shoulder. There, it was the same. Almost the same. While Sousuke’s butterfly only had black lines, the man’s was only splashes of colors in the same shape, without the outlining. Sousuke couldn’t help himself and reached out, brushed the tip of his fingers on the tattoo. As if they reacted to skin contact, both tattoos changed. The one on Sousuke’s shoulder softly colored itself while the one on his savior’s shoulder got sharper with the black outline.

“You’re...”

The other simply nodded, eyes shying away. The last line drew itself on the pale shoulder and Sousuke brushed his fingers on it again, felt the same warmth that softly pulsed on his right shoulder. Their gazes locked and somehow, Sousuke felt hypnotized by those eyes, that deep violet and he had to tear himself away, cheeks hot. He never thought his soulmate would be this cute. And a skilled fighter.

“Come on.”

Sousuke looked up, the young man walking toward the bookshop door. Well, if that wasn’t unexpected. He briefly wondered if there were other secrets of that kind.

“We should take care of that nasty cut.” said the young man, gesturing toward his forehead.

Sousuke mimed his movement, touched his own forehead and hissed, his fingers coming back with blood. He followed his now other half inside the little shop and in between the shelves. He watched as the man turned off a hidden switch, the front window going dark. Then Sousuke had to flatten himself against a shelf to let him pass but at the last moment, he chose to brace his hands on each side of his cute savior’s face.

“Hey soulmate.” Sousuke said low, in an almost husky voice.

The other blushed, it was visible even between those dim lit shelves. A part of himself felt stupid but he wanted to seduce him, even when knowing they actually had a lifetime to spend together.

“You didn’t tell me your name.”

“I’m- I’m Rei.”

“And I’m Sousuke.”

Rei grumbled something Sousuke didn’t make out then pushed the one arm that blocked his way. Sousuke smiled inwardly as he fell into step behind Rei. Again, he couldn’t help himself and brushed his hand on Rei’s tattoo through his shirt. Rei stopped abruptly. This sense of odd familiarity washed over him and Sousuke felt Rei shuddering under his grip, as if he felt it too. Then Rei shook himself out of Sousuke’s hand.

“I am a man of logic, soulmates are a fairy tale.” he grumbled, pushing his glasses up his nose.

This time, Sousuke smirked. This was a bit challenging and it promised quite the funky ride.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading and don't forget to tell me what you thought of it :3


End file.
